Leader:  Let us pray the words our Lord taught us…..

All:   Our Father….

All join hands for the final blessing.

Leader: 

God of every nation and people
from the very beginning of creation
you have made manifest your love:
when our need for a Savior was great
you sent your Son to be born of the Virgin Mary.
To our lives he brings joy and peace, 
justice, mercy, and love.

Lord, bless all who look upon this manager; 
may it remind us of the humble birth of Jesus, 
and raise our thoughts to him,
who is God-with-us and Savior of all,
and who lives and reigns forever and ever.

All:   Amen

All do the sign of the cross as the leader says:

Leader:  May the God of glory fill our hearts with peace and joy, now and forever.

All: Amen.

The blessing concludes with a verse from “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”:

O come, thou dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night
and death’s dark shadow put to flight.
Rejoice!  Rejoice!  Emmanuel!
shall come to thee, O Israel.